Time enough for drums the better epilogue
by TeenStarkid
Summary: From where the final chapter left off, and my interpretation of how the epilogue should have been. Lots of John/Jem fluff.


Jemima POV: 1777.

"_If you leave John Reid you can marry yourself in October." _The thought kept waking me up all night. This was the third time. I yelled at him again this afternoon when he came to court me. I just wanted him to be all right. He was sick and needed someone to look after him. Wasn't that my job? When he was here today, we just sat in silence. I started crying. Lucy walked into my room.

"What's da matter?"

"I don't know Lucy. I just wish John would've stayed. I feel like I'm losing everyone. Father's dead, Mama's daft, Dan, and David are fighting, grandfather is with the Indians, and John is sick. I don't want to lose him Lucy. I love him too much too. I need him to keep me from falling apart."

"It'll all work out tomorrow, get some sleep now."

I continued to cry myself to sleep. The next day I went straight to the shop. Around mid-day John walked into the shop, with one of his school boys behind him.

"Miss Emerson, this is Timothy Gregger, he would like to be employed here at the shop."

"Well Mr. Reid I will have to see. I don't know if my Fiancé will be okay with him working here with me."

"I think I shall speak with him about it"

"Or he may start while I go have lunch with him."

"Very well, Timothy knows how to work a shop, and will be severely punished if he disobeys the rules. Now Miss Emerson, we have a meeting with your fiancé."

We walked over to my house and made our way to the parlor, Lucy had already brought up food, and sat down.

"Jem, I would never leave you like that. You should've told me. I spoke to Lucy this morning. Jem, next time let me know."

"John I couldn't, I didn't know how to tell you."

"Jem, I promise you the next time I am sick, I will let you take charge over me, I had some of you mama's medicine and borrowed one of your favorite books, and I am now back to normal. This weathers not helping much, but it doesn't matter. I am also going to be staying with Canoe until your grandfather returns, and then we will be wed."

"Fair enough John. But why did you bring in Timothy?"

"I am going to have to go back to the army in December, and wanted someone to look after you, besides Lucy. Dan is trying to convince the general to let him off for a few days to travel in, but I don't know if it will work. Jem you need all the help you can get. Timothy is good at working in shops and will be a good hand."

"John."

"I hugged him and he kissed my forehead.

When grandfather did come home John and I did marry at the church. The Moores, came along and brought mama. She didn't say a word, but I knew I would talk with her later. Lucy helped me make everything, including the food. Canoe brought the Indian children, and John had some of his students. It was small, but amazing. I was sad that Dan and David couldn't make it, but they were out fighting. I felt bad for Betsy, who was a waiting Dan's word.

In December John left, and by February I had received word that he landed himself in jail once again. He stayed in the Philadelphia prison until the British evacuated and moved him to New York, in June of 1778. When the package came with the secret letter stuff, I was happy I could see what John was up to.

Timothy was a big help. There were some days I couldn't even remember my sums. I was just thankful when the war ended in 1781. Everyone was running all over town screaming "Yorktown, the British surrendered at Yorktown."

I went to see up stairs. Mama after lunch, I stopped in my tracks. She was back at the house but it still felt like a mile away. I was a young girl of 15 when the war started. Father stopped selling tea, I was learning to shoot a musket, and running from my tutor. I hated him. He was a damned Tory, but now my husband. Dan left to war, and Raymond, of whom I was corresponding. That was so long ago. Now I'm Twenty-one and living in a free country.

In mid November, I walked in from closing the shop. Lucy was standing in the hallway.

"Lucy what's wrong, is it Mama, Dan, David, or John,?"

She just stood there, then I heard a voice from father's study.

"Jemima Reid will you come here please."

I ran up stairs and barged into the room.

"Barbarians enter a room like that, do you not remember what I've taught you?"

"It looks like you have to teach me all over again."

I ran to his arms and he twirled me around. He kicked the door with his foot, like he did some many time before, and kissed me passionately. Oh how I missed him.

We were standing in the grave yard. John, Dan and Betsy left me to talk to father by his grave. I only wish David could have been buried here, he died in Yorktown. I talked with father for ten minutes and went back the house.

About a month later, Dan was discharged and came back to the house. John and I were in my room, mama in her, and Dan in his. Dan and Betsy would marry in late February. Betsy would always hang around the house, or help me in the shop. Dan was back in school to become a lawyer. John was still teaching.

One afternoon in early February I was in the shop and I wasn't feeling well. I told Timothy I was going home to rest. I didn't touch my supper that night. John came back later that night he was visiting his uncle in the next town over. The next day, I couldn't even go to the shop, I was so nauseous. I threw up twice that day. My mama was in her room and was sewing. She was talking a lot more, and being social. We would never mention the war around her. That evening I was abnormally quiet. John noticed. We were in my room. I was sitting on the chair, while he was on our bed.

"Jem, what's wrong? Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine John."

"Jem if I didn't know better I would think you were on your monthly, but that was two weeks ago."

I was shaking a little bit.

"I'm not on my monthly, but I wasn't on it two weeks ago either."

"Jem are, are you, are you…"

I started to cry.

"I don't know."

Without saying a word, John got up took my hand and sat me next to him on the bed. I was still crying. He pulled me close to him.

"Jem your sickness when did it start?"

"Yesterday, but John what if I'm not, what's wrong with me?"

"We'll worry about it if you're not, but those chances are slim."

"I send for the doctor tomorrow, and we make sure you are okay. For now let's get some rest."

The next morning John left, and told me he be around a little before noon. I spent the morning with mama.

"Mama, I have a question for you. How did you know you were pregnant?"

"I missed two of my monthly cycles, and I started getting sick, why do you think you are?"

"I'm not sure mama, John is calling for the doctor, I'm still really early but I don't know, I also want to make sure I'm not sick."

"Jem did you and John do anything?"

"Yeah, back in November."

"Jem there is probably a good chance you are, try to relax. John is a good man, he won't treat you like a house baring him children and meals, he knows you to well." I think I hear them now, go down, but I want an answer."

"Okay Mama."

It turns out I was pregnant. In the summer I had a beautiful baby boy. I wanted to name him James after my father, but I knew it would be too hard for mama. I named him Jackson Daniel instead. Two years later I had a baby girl whom I named Sarah Elizabeth after my mother. Betsy had a son named Raymond Paul after her brother.

Life was smooth and there was no war until 1812.

It was in the early 1790s when I caught my daughter standing upon the same hill with John and Dan. I ran up there, (Yes pregnant again with number six).

"John and Daniel what do think you are doing with Sarah?"

"Teaching her how to shoot a musket."

"Daniel Emerson why, Sarah you've missed your lessons, you knew that you had to be there, and you John Reid, how could you have allowed this,"

"Well if I remember correctly, someone else I know might have done something similar back in 1775. You know coming up here to learn to shoot a musket, ditching a lesson. Sounds familiar Dan?"

"All too well"

I smiled. "Fine, Sarah I will teacher to shoot later now go back to your lessons."

To think that when all of this started I was a girl of fifteen, who would run away from her tutor, now to him. Life has changed, for the better and for the worse.


End file.
